Tagged

Oh dear, guys, it's been far too long since I posted. I kind of doubt that anyone's reading anymore. Haha. Sorry, I've been really busy. Anyway, I got tagged for a meme by my dad, and, although I can't think of anyone else to tag. But I thought I'd fill it out anyway.

* The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.

* Each player answers the questions about himself or herself.

* At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.


1. Ten years ago I was:
Living in the same house. I was 9 years old and was just finishing up 3rd grade in my favorite teacher's class. My little sister was 2, and my family was planning to go to Salt Lake City to visit my uncle that summer.

2. Five Things on Today's To Do List:

1. Go to sleep

2. Do my laundry

3. Call my friend to alleviate his boredom on his 1o hour bus ride for his school trip.

4. Go to the bank to cash/deposit my paycheck

5. Go to work

3. Things I'd do if I were a billionaire:

- Pay off all my student loans

- Pay to fix up my parents' house

- Buy some of the stuff that I've been wanting (i.e. those $150 leather boots from Urban Outfitters, an iphone, etc.)

- Buy all my favorite DVDs

- Donate to several charities

- Treat my friends and family to a ton of stuff

- Travel my heart out

- Go visit all my friends in other states/countries that I've been dying to see.

- Probably a ton of other stuff that I can't think of right now.

4. Three Bad Habits:

- I bite my nails.

- I stay up WAY too late.

- I can't motivate myself to do stuff that doesn't grab my attention.

5. Five Places I've lived:

- Willy Street area. The house I was born into and where I lived until I was 3. I don't have too many memories from there.

- Emerson neighborhood. My family moved there when I was 3 and have been living there since.

- My best friend's house. Okay, not really, but I haven't really lived in 5 places, and I spent about half my time there during junior and senior year.

- The theater of my high school. Once again, not really lived, but I certainly spent a lot of time there during my high school years.

- My college dorm room in Pennsylvania. I just moved out about a month ago, actually, but I had some fun times there.

6. Five Jobs I've had in life:

- Student

- Volunteer at a summer camp and school classroom

- Clerk at a fabric store

- Camp Counselor

- Backwaiter at a Brazilian Steakhouse (current job, and a very good one at that)

Okay, and done! Hope those still reading my blog enjoy this.

Movie Review: In the Valley of Elah

I have been waiting to see "In the Valley of Elah" for over six months. When I first heard of it, I was terribly excited because it had a terrific cast (Tommy Lee Jones, Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon) and a magnificent director (Paul Haggis, director of "Crash"). Not only that, but Paul had cast Jonathan Tucker in one of the smaller roles, an actor whose work I loved on Paul's short lived show "The Black Donnellys". Unfortunately, I never got the chance to see it when it was in theaters due to lack of time and money. This week, it finally came in at the library, and tonight I was in the mood for a drama.

Despite the fact that the mood was kind of killed by my roommate's music playing in the background (Kanye doesn't really go well with this movie), I was completely and utterly blown away. I had been worried that I had too high of expectations for "In the Valley of Elah" and would be disappointed with what I saw. This could not have been more wrong. It was a beautiful, haunting movie about what serving in Iraq is doing to the young men who join the army. There are some anti-war messages, of course, but the point of the movie isn't to make a statement for or against the army in general. Its point is to show what this specific war is doing to people. I don't really know how to describe it better without giving away the story line, but I will say that it is a beautifully crafted story that allows the viewer to see both the horrible things that our soldiers are doing as well as showing their vulnerability and humanity. Rather than painting a picture in black and white, it shows things for what they really are.

The general plot line is that Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones) teams up with local detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) to investigate the disappearance of his son, Michael (Jonathan Tucker), upon the young man's return from Iraq. Although the bare bones of the story center around the crime investigation, it is the details and glimpses of humanity that make this movie the beautiful masterpiece that it is.

I apologize for this rather disjointed review. All I can say is that it is not for the faint of heart. The topics focused on in this movie are brutal and horrible, just like war really is, but there is no "good guy" or "bad guy". There are just humans. If you can stomach the content (it's not terribly visually graphic or anything, but the topics are not pleasant to think about), definitely watch this movie. It is heartbreaking and moving, and all the actors did a wonderful job. And, if you watch, make sure you watch the credits until the end of Annie Lennox's haunting song, "Lost". Not only is the song beautiful and perfect for this movie, but there is also one of the most raw, heartfelt tributes that I have ever seen included in the credits, and the movie is not complete without it, in my opinion.

Sadly, this movie was overlooked this year except for one Oscar nomination for Tommy Lee Jones (which he definitely deserved), but don't allow yourself to pass it by. It is worth the watch.

EDIT: Also, several of the actors playing soldiers were actually in the army, so the feeling in this movie...it's real. And this movie is based on a true story.

Movie Review: Labyrinth

Ever since I was very young, "Labyrinth" has been one of my favorite movies. In fact, I loved it so much, that I was absolutely thrilled when my dad bought me a tape of "Peter and the Wolf" narrated by David Bowie because I loved him so much as Jareth, the king of the goblins.

For those who haven't seen it, "Labyrinth" is a darkly funny fairy tale about a spoiled teenager, Sarah, who spends all her time in a fantasy world rather than interacting with people her own age. One night, while babysitting her crying baby brother, Toby, she wishes for goblins to come and take the inconsolable infant away. At her words, Toby disappears from his room, and his sister comes face to face with the formidable Goblin King, Jareth. She begs him to return her brother, but he refuses, declaring that "What's said is said." Finally, he relents, telling her that her brother is being kept in the castle at the center of a gigantic, complex labyrinth and gives her 13 hours to solve the labyrinth and find the boy before he becomes a goblin himself. Throughout the rest of the movie, he places in front of her a number of challenges that she is forced to overcome, with the help of a cowardly dwarf named Hoggle, an adorable giant furry beast called Ludo, and Sir Didymus, the fearless, hyperactive foxlike creature who rides on a horseshoed English Sheepdog named Ambrosius.

This movie is amazing for so many reasons. For one thing, you've got a fantastic screenplay written by Monty Python's Terry Jones. For another, you've got a potentially scary story turned into a hilariously whimsical and kid-friendly story by the buffoonish antics of the hapless, muppet-like goblins. Not only that, but the creatures are designed by renowned fairy illustrator Brian Froud, and the special effects are provided by none other than George Lucas. Add to that the direction of Jim Henson (and that absolutely gorgeous cinderella-esque dress that Sarah gets to wear toward the end of the film), and you've got a fantastic movie. Sure, it's campy and VERY 80s, but that's part of its charm.

Let's be honest, though. It's David Bowie who makes the movie. From his irresistibly catchy songs to his flawless portrayal of the mysterious Goblin King, the movie wouldn't be half as good without him. There's something incredibly alluring about the character of Jareth, too, something that I've struggled to put my finger on. As a child, I was absolutely in love with him and found the ball scene to be completely enchanting. I still do, despite the slightly disturbing undertones (not least of which the huge age difference between Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, who plays Sarah). The other day, however, I was watching the movie with my friend who had never seen it, and she said decidedly, "It's because he's so tragic." The more I think about it, the more I realize that she's right. There is a melancholy air to the Goblin King that is quite appealing. However, I am surprised at how many people completely miss this aspect of the character while watching the movie. A great many people only take him at surface level and dismiss him as a jealous, vindictive creature who is in love with Sarah and is motivated by his desire to possess her. This is not what I see at all. In fact, I have never seen Jareth in this way, and I strongly believe that he is not meant to be viewed in this manner. I am undecided on whether or not he was actually in love with Sarah, but I have always seen him as a character who was trying to help Sarah grow up and embrace her life. He didn't want to see her turn into a lonely person like him, surrounded by people but never a part of the group, so he devised a plan to help her discover the values of friendship. While he may have appeared angry and threatening, it was merely because she was still so childlike and wrapped up in the fantasy world of the labyrinth. All his challenges helped her find faith in herself and discover the kind of person that she wanted to be.

If you haven't seen "Labyrinth", I strongly suggest checking it out. It is terribly entertaining and appeals to the child within us all. Even if you have seen it, watch it again. I guarantee that there's something that you missed (Pay close attention to the objects shown in Sarah's room at the beginning of the movie. You might spot some things that look familiar).

A Bittersweet Week

Usually I don't write such personal posts, but this is a very emotional week for me. This post is not meant to be depressing but rather to honor some very important memories. Yesterday was St. Patrick's Day, the first I've celebrated since my grandfather (pictured above with my little sister) died 6 months ago. St. Patty's Day was always one of his favorite holidays. He was very proud of his Irish heritage. Every year, he would hang the Irish flag on the garage door, and some years he would invite my family over for dinner to celebrate. Not only that, but the last time that I spoke to my grandpa on the phone before he died was when I called him from Irishfest in September. He had fallen ill and was in the hospital, so I thought a call from me would cheer him up, especially since my sister and I are the only two grandchildren who have taken any interest in Irish music and the like. That was the last time that I heard my grandpa's voice. He died the next weekend. I've been missing him a fair amount the past few months, as we were quite close (although I didn't realize how close until he was gone), but today I felt it more acutely than I have since his memorial service. St. Patrick's Day just isn't the same without him around.

The good news this week is that tomorrow is my nineteenth birthday, and my mom is coming to visit me. I haven't seen her since January, so I'm very excited to show her around the city and just spend some quality time with her. It's also my golden birthday, which I have been waiting for since I was old enough to know what a golden birthday was (although now that it's here, it seems a bit anticlimactic).

Unfortunately, tomorrow is also the 5th anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. I am very strongly antiwar, and I always have been, and my fourteenth birthday was very nearly ruined when Bush announced on March 17th that he was giving Hussein two days to leave Iraq. I had predicted that our illustrious president would put off attacking Iraq until my birthday, but everyone told me I was being paranoid. I just had this feeling, though. I knew it was going to happen. When we went out for my birthday dinner that night, the restaurant we were at had the TV on right above our table. Bush was on the news outlining his plan of attack, and they refused to turn it off until my mom yelled at them for ruining our celebrations (this is a bar and grill that specializes in birthdays, so I'm not really sure why anyone there would have wanted to be watching such sad news on what is supposed to be such a happy day). I was very emotional that week and prone to tears, a state that was exploited by some of my more pro-war classmates. It wasn't so much that I was upset about my birthday being tainted. It was more that I felt guilty that I was celebrating while bombs were being dropped on innocent people in Iraq. Needless to say, it was not a happy birthday.

Thursday, the 20th, is also an emotional day for me. I was named after my great grandmother, and last year she grew very sick the weekend before my birthday. I was incredibly upset. For some reason, it was very important to me that she see me, her namesake and the oldest great grandchild, turn 18. It's such a big milestone, and I really wanted her to see me reach it. A few days before she died, we went to visit her in the nursing home, and I held her hand and told her how much I loved her and how proud I was to be named after her. I told her that I was going to be an adult in a few days and that I hoped she would be around to see it. My dad told me later that he thought she was going to die on my birthday so she would be remembered (her husband died on my uncle's birthday) but that she saw how important it was to me that she make it through that day and so she waited an extra day. I found that to be a very touching thought.

The final thing that makes this week so bittersweet is that Friday, the 21st, is the 14th birthday of my little sister Sophie. She was born right after I turned five and unfortunately was only with us for ten days. I suppose it's a bit strange to miss someone that I barely knew, but around this time of year I start wondering what my baby sister would be like and wishing she were still around. She was an exceptional girl, and I loved her very deeply, even though I only knew her for a couple of days. However, two years later, I got another little sister, and I wouldn't trade her for the world. She's one of my best friends, despite the large age difference between us, and I don't know what I would do without her.

I'm sorry if I bored anyone with my ramblings. I just wanted to honor the exceptional people who make this week so memorable and the events that changed my life. All of them were very dear to me, and I hope that wherever they are, they know that I'm thinking about them.

Movie Review: Bobby

It's been a very long time since I've seen a movie that has made me cry. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting too much from "Bobby." I'd heard it was good, and I was interested in seeing it, but it wasn't at the top of my list or anything. I knew that it was about Robert Kennedy and that it was directed by Emilio Estevez, who I knew as Andy Clark in "The Breakfast Club." I knew that it was an ensemble cast starring, among other people, Elijah Wood, Lindsay Lohan, Demi Moore, Anthony Hopkins, and Ashton Kutcher. I knew that it was about the lives of the people who witnessed the assassination of Bobby Kennedy rather than being about Kennedy himself. It looked interesting but didn't strike me as anything spectacular.

Being in college, I don't have money to rent movies, so I rely on the library to provide me with a constant source of films. I have a long list of movies that I want to see, so I just put everything on hold and watch them in the order that they come in rather than choosing which movies I want to watch on a given week. This week, "Bobby" was one of the arrivals, so I decided to watch it tonight, and...I was blown away. This movie gave me cold shivers, which only happens when I'm watching a movie that is REALLY good.

I didn't have high hopes for this movie. I mean, it had Lindsay Lohan and Nick Cannon in it, two actors who hail from the teeny bopper movies put out by Disney and Nickelodeon. No matter how good the other actors were, I just couldn't see these two pulling it off. Nor could I see there being any sort of chemistry between Lindsay Lohan and Elijah Wood. I was proven completely wrong. Every single actor in this movie did a phenomenal job. Not only that, but the writing and directing was brilliant. Estevez masterfully created characters that you could really care about, showing the humanity in each and every one as well as the flaws and the obstacles that they faced. Not only that, but he wove in actual footage of Bobby Kennedy. Well, that makes sense, you might say. After all, the movie is called "Bobby." But although the story centers on the day of his visit and the way he affected the lives of those who believed in him, it was so much more than that. It was a story of young love, of old love, of faded love, of love renewed. It was a story of growing old, of discovering drugs, of facing the terrifying prospect of the draft, of being young, and of having hope in a time that was so full of violence. The story was about the people, not about the politician. Yet the footage still worked to create a deep connection between the viewer and the people shown on the screen.

I don't want to give away the ending. Everyone knows that Bobby Kennedy was shot. That's not the point of the movie. The point of the movie is to show how he affected the lives of so many people and to show that their story, and the story of every single person in the world, is just as important as the story of a Senator. That final scene was so beautiful and so heartbreaking that it brought tears to my eyes. I couldn't help but feel the hope that everyone had upon seeing him speak, which made the hopelessness and the shock that they felt after he was shot seem very real to me. It was something that I could relate to, to some extent. I mean, I've never witnessed an assassination or anything of that sort, but I remember how hopeful I felt when I went to see John Kerry speak before the 2004 election, how happy I was, and how sure that things would get better. And I remember the feeling of utter despair that came when I learned that Bush had won the election. It is the mark of great filmmaking that this movie made me empathize so strongly with the characters and the situation that I was witnessing.

I would strongly recommend that everyone see this movie (if you don't mind the sight of blood, that is. It's not terribly gory, but it is about a shooting). It is beautifully crafted and well acted. Nick Cannon's performance blew me away, and I hope to see him in more serious roles in the future (not that I didn't enjoy Drumline, but he can do so much more). I am very surprised that this movie did not win the Golden Globe for best picture last year. I found it to be much more moving than "Babel". And, while I loved Emilio Estevez in "The Breakfast Club", my respect for him has greatly increased upon seeing this movie. Check it out.

Concert Review: Jack's Mannequin

Last night, I was in Cleveland visiting a friend, and he invited me to see Jack's Mannequin with him. Seeing as how I love Jack's Mannequin, I was thrilled to get a chance to see them live. We managed to get pretty close to the stage, maybe about 10 ft away. There were a fair number of people in our group, and the concert was completely sold out. Some of our friends weren't able to make it, sadly. We got there early to make sure that we got good spots and ended up standing around for a while and chatting.

At 7:00, the opening band came onto the stage. They were called Wake Hollywood, and, I have to admit, I wasn't impressed with them at all. They seemed like they thought they were really good, but honestly they were not great. The singer spent most of the time dancing around the stage and making funny faces. Nothing they did was very original, and the singer didn't seem capable of carrying a tune. All of them, except for the drummer, were dressed in "emo" outfits: black, styled hair; black pants and a black or white shirt; ties or scarves; skinny jeans. It was like watching a caricature of a popular band. We amused ourselves with trying to guess if the bass player was a really androgynous woman or a really effeminate man. It was kind of hard to tell, although it turns out he was male. The other thing that we found amusing was how desperate they seemed for friends. During the 45 minute set, they mentioned several times that they wanted to be invited to a party, and when we looked at their Myspace later that night to solve the bassist gender mystery once and for all, we noticed that three out of the four members had their Instant Messenger screennames listed in the hopes that somebody would add them. It was kind of pathetic really.

Thankfully, Jack's Mannequin's performance more than made up for the terrible opening act. Despite the fact that concert conditions were not ideal, they still managed to put on a terrific show. The acoustics could have been better (we were in a gymnasium), and the crowd was too drunk and rowdy, but none of that mattered. It didn't even matter that the tallest guy in the audience was standing right in front of me, making it very difficult to see without straining. Andrew McMahon and his band made it all worthwhile.

He opened the show with "I'm Ready," to screams of delight from the audience, and continued to play favorites such as "The Mixed Tape," "Dark Blue," "Bruised," "We Were Made for Each Other/You Can Breathe," and "Rescued," as well as several songs from his new album. The crowd was wild. People were ramming into one another, and I was nearly knocked over several times. My friend was practically holding me up. I had to hold my camera above my head in order to get even a semi clear shot of the band. It was very intense. Everyone sang along to their favorite songs, and Andrew played it up, leaning toward the audience and walking around the stage when he wasn't playing piano. When he finished his water, he threw the empty bottle out across the audience, and people scrambled to grab it. He never faltered, not even when one of his microphones came loose and a techie had to come and fix it in the middle of a song. He even attempted to tighten it himself, without missing a single beat. Nor was he fazed when, in the heat of the moment, he accidentally knocked over his piano stool. He simply continued with the song.

The concert ended, and Jack's Mannequin left the stage, to the disappointment of all. Someone began chanting, "One more song! One more song!" Soon, everybody had joined in. The band seemed to be expecting it, and they returned to the stage, grinning. Andrew announced that the next song was going to be "an old one." He played a few notes on the piano, then began a song called "Me and the Moon" by his old band, Something Corporate. Fewer people seemed to know the words to this one (I was one of the few :p), but it was still met with enthusiasm. Once he finished "Me and the Moon," he surprised the audience by launching into "American Girl" by Tom Petty and jumping up on top of his grand piano. Everyone was dancing and cheering. It was an explosive finale to an absolutely amazing concert. I left the gymnasium feeling energized and very content, all thoughts of the terrible opening act forgotten (until later, of course, when I was able to think clearly again).

HAPPY ACROSS THE UNIVERSE DAY!

Today is the 40th Anniversary of the song "Across the Universe." It's also the first day ever to be dedicated to the Beatles. To celebrate, NASA broadcast "Across the Universe" into space. How cool is that? Sorry for the short post, but I'll wax poetic about the Beatles later. For now, here's the site.